MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton and American Express announced that the companies, in partnership with Hilton’s ownership community, will donate up to 1 million hotel room nights across the United States to frontline medical professionals leading the fight against COVID-19. Beginning next week, Hilton and American Express will make rooms available without charge to doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other frontline medical staff who need a place to sleep, recharge or isolate from their families through the end of May. Hilton is initially working with 10 associations that collectively represent more than 1 million healthcare workers to provide access to the program, designed to...

One thing there is no shortage of at this trying time is good deeds—and many of them are coming out of hotels, hotel companies, and suppliers to hotels. I have received many press releases about, and read elsewhere about food donations, cash donations, executives giving up their salaries, companies committing to pay their employees during the shutdown, etc. Of course there have been tens of thousands of layoffs as well but at such a dismal time it helps to grab onto glimmers of goodness and hope. For those of you still working on the front lines of our industry, a...

MADRID—The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released a set of recommendations calling for urgent and strong support to help the global tourism sector not only recover from the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 but to “grow back better”. The Recommendations are the first output of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, established by UNWTO with high-level representatives from across the tourism sector and from within the wider United Nations system. Recognizing that tourism and transport has been among the hardest hit of all sectors, the Recommendations are designed to support governments, the private sector and the international community in navigating the unparalleled social and economic...

CINCINNATI—Hydro Systems, a world leader in chemical dispensing equipment, software and services, published a free microsite containing helpful tools and resources to combat the global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The microsite highlights cleaning best practices, educational materials and the benefits of using chemical dispensing systems to prevent the spread of infection. To access the microsite, visit https://hydrosystemsco.com/COVID-19/. “Stopping the spread of the coronavirus infection is crucial, and there’s a lot of varying information out there about how to best accomplish that,” said Matt Hayas, Global Product Manager, Hydro Systems. “Our microsite serves as a one-stop resource guide that...

The COVID-19 crisis has certainly made cleaning and disinfection a top of mind topic in the hotel industry and everywhere else. Green Seal has put together an excellent list of resources on how to “Stay Healthy During the COVID-19 crisis.” Be sure to check out their site which includes a "How to Safely Disinfect for Coronavirus" page. Other topic groups include: “Resources for Healthy Homes,” “Resources for Healthy Schools and Workplaces,” “Resources for Green Seal Certified Producers,” “Resources for Green Seal Certified Cleaning Service Providers,” and “Resources from Our Stakeholders.” Under “Resources for Healthy Schools and Workplaces,” there are links...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands last week announced that, out of an abundance of caution and in line with recent guidance from federal and state governments, it is closing its Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas until at least April 1. A decision on whether to extend the closure or re-open will be made later. The company said it is committed to paying its team members while the buildings are closed. No layoffs or furloughs are being contemplated and the closure will not impact health care eligibility. “These are clearly challenging times for our country and our community,” said Rob Goldstein,...

ATLANTA—Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB), the nation’s largest bedding manufacturer, will donate 10,000 mattresses to New York City hospitals and temporary medical facilities fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is calling on its peers to do the same. While the healthcare system’s shortages of masks and ventilators have been heavily publicized, bedding is also expected to soon be dangerously scarce as the coronavirus spreads and hospitalizations surge. That is particularly the case in New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo last Tuesday said the state would soon require as many as 140,000 additional hospital beds; it currently has 53,000 in use. Beyond its...

NATIONAL REPORT—Whether in fixed areas such as air handling systems or in portable devices such as air purifiers or germ-killing robots, ultraviolet (UV) radiation is being used to help combat the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19). UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10 percent of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the sun. In manmade lamps, more highly concentrated UV rays can be highly effective at killing germs, bacteria and viruses. UltraViolet Device, Inc. (UVDI), in a press release issued this month, says coronavirus is highly susceptible to germicidal UV irradiation. The susceptibility of coronavirus to UV rays...

Travel isn’t always a bed of roses. There are natural disasters, tainted products, bad actors, data breaches, regional and global viruses, and events big and small that require industries to step up, speak up, and do whatever it takes to take care of their employees and customers. As the coronavirus outbreak tops 93,000 in dozens of countries, it’s an appropriate time to offer advice on how to handle an industry crisis. Protect Your Employees, Guests, & Brand Brands have a responsibility to ensure life safety for associates and guests. Government safety regulations vary around the world, but standards, processes, communications and training...

ATLANTA—With concerns about germ transmission at an all-time high and businesses increasingly concerned about public health, pest control leader Orkin, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins Inc., announced a new service that will help businesses quickly and thoroughly suppress a wide variety of serious pathogens. In dense places where people congregate, if high-touch surfaces such as countertops, fixtures and public seating are not disinfected, harmful viruses such as the novel coronavirus can spread rapidly. Just like frequent, careful handwashing is a basic measure for humans to stave off virus transmission, large-scale sanitization is imperative to keeping establishments where people shop, eat...